Chapter 1

In the midst of the faint smoke, a light mist enveloped the small mountain village made of stone at the foot of Cangling Mountain. As the first rays of the morning sun slowly rose, a pale golden light fell from the sky, illuminating a small courtyard with four doors in the village, as if draping a light, gossamer-like cloud robe over the courtyard...

"Damn it... Who the hell stole my fire-feathered chicken!"

A shrill scream broke the tranquility of the courtyard's early morning, startling a few birds with emerald green feathers and tiny golden crests on their heads perched on the ancient trees in the courtyard.

Fire-feathered chicken?

It's still a chicken!

Fang Zhengzhi pursed his lips, turning the fire-feathered chicken roasting on the wooden rack, glancing at the clear river beside him. Then, he carefully pulled out several coarse yellow paper packets from his chest, slowly opening them to reveal various colored powders inside—red, white, gray...

These were all good things. The small mountain village didn't have many condiments; apart from oil and salt, there were no peppers or anything else. So, Fang Zhengzhi had to risk his life tasting various herbs to create the "condiments" for barbecuing!

Eating...

One of life's greatest pleasures! But ever since he came to this cursed place, he had nothing but steamed buns and green vegetables, not even a single bun to eat.

To ensure his continued healthy development, Fang Zhengzhi felt he needed to add some proper meals! Mentally in his twenties, but physically only six years old, this was truly a difficult situation for him.

"Swallow!"

Fang Zhengzhi, smelling the rich aroma of the roasting meat, swallowed hard, then looked up at the sky illuminated by the rising sun, his young face showing a hint of deep thought.

Studying ancient history and literature had its benefits. The greatest advantage was the ability to read a wide range of ancient books, master classical Chinese, understand astronomy, geography, and astrology, and occasionally delve into esoteric studies and ancient herbal medicine.

However...

It was all for nothing.

In his previous life, Fang Zhengzhi struggled with unemployment, enduring nearly a hundred painful experiences before finally waking up in this ancient era. He thought he could finally make a name for himself. With his knowledge of ancient literature, he could at least have a chance at passing the imperial exams and earning a degree as a scholar, right?

Who would have thought...

He had been in this world for almost a month, and upon inquiry, there were no imperial exams here. No eight-part essays, no Four Books and Five Classics—nothing! It was a different world, even the poultry looked different.

Fire-feathered chicken? It just had an extra long red feather on its tail. Even if the eggs it laid were red, it was still a chicken!

Fang Zhengzhi greedily inhaled the now fully released aroma of the roasted meat, starting to add the condiments to the fire-feathered chicken—some "chili," some "cumin," some "honey"...

"You little chicken thief!"

A sharp cry made Fang Zhengzhi's back stiffen. He hunched over, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. Being caught in the act was never a pleasant experience.

What to do?

With his small arms and short legs, he couldn't even think about fighting back, let alone running away. Thinking of this, Fang Zhengzhi turned his head with a pained expression to see who had caught him.

He just wanted to see who had caught him.

After this beating, he could at least find a chance for revenge, like throwing stones at their windows or dropping water eggs into their pit...

When he saw the person, Fang Zhengzhi's eyes lit up.

The person was a stranger, someone he had never seen before. Most importantly, it was a little girl about his age, probably around five years old. Her white, tender face had delicate features like a porcelain doll, wearing a silk skirt embroidered with three white flowers, a green jade hairpin on her head, and golden-threaded red leather boots on her feet.

Even at such a young age, she already exuded a transcendent and perfect aura, destined to be a beauty that could bring down a nation.

But...

Why was she standing with her hands on her hips, a mocking smile on her lips, and a look of disdain on her face?

Fang Zhengzhi was annoyed. Where did this little brat come from, dressed like a flower girl, pretending to be a young lady in this remote mountain village?

Most importantly, how dare she look down on him?

Although he was also a little kid, he was mentally in his twenties. He might not be good at many things, but he was confident in his intelligence.

"Where did you come from, you stinky girl? Get lost! This is my chicken!" Fang Zhengzhi pointed at the deliciously roasting fire-feathered chicken with impatience.

"Little thief, who are you calling a stinky girl?" The little girl's smile froze, and her small fists clenched.

Fang Zhengzhi saw the little girl's clenched fists.

Oh... She wants to fight?

Fang Zhengzhi sneered. Although he had little experience in this area in his previous life, he couldn't be outmatched by a five-year-old girl, right?

"If you don't leave, I'll beat you up!" Fang Zhengzhi thought he needed to show the little girl his fierce side, so he gritted his teeth and widened his eyes.

Unfortunately, with his baby fat, he looked more like he was making a funny face.

"Beat me? Fine... 'Chi Guyan' accepts your challenge, let me see your skills!" The little girl was momentarily stunned by Fang Zhengzhi's words, then her delicate face showed a strong sense of excitement.

"Huh?" Fang Zhengzhi was taken aback. Wasn't the normal scenario for the little girl to be scared, cry, and run away?

What did "let me see your skills" mean?

Uh...

Before Fang Zhengzhi could figure it out, he felt a figure quickly pounce towards him. The wind blew his hair around.

What the hell? Almost instinctively, Fang Zhengzhi's bottom moved off the stone he was sitting on, rolling to the side...

"Boom!"

A loud noise came from behind him.

Fang Zhengzhi turned around, his eyes nearly popping out.

The large, bucket-sized green stone that had been under his bottom was now split open with a huge crack, and above the crack, the little girl's tender white hand was suspended in the air.

"Damn!"

Fang Zhengzhi was truly stunned.

What could be more shocking than seeing a five-year-old girl split a bucket-sized green stone with one hand? Moreover, she looked like she wasn't even done, and her hand didn't even turn red.

A berserk little girl? A reincarnated deity?

Fang Zhengzhi's mind went blank. Was this world really that exaggerated? There were no such people in the village. The simple villagers worked from dawn to dusk, and the most they did was organize a few adults to hunt in the mountains.

If there was anything different from his previous world, it was that everyone was more robust, and the wild animals in the mountains were strange and varied. But for a non-technological society, wasn't this normal?

Fang Zhengzhi had always thought he lived in a peaceful era...

In that moment, he felt his worldview was being overturned. But that wasn't the scariest part. The scariest part was that the little girl was looking at him again, her eyes filled with mockery, as if he were a toy in her hands.

Again? No way...

What if he couldn't fight back?

Run!

A five-year-old girl might not be very smart, but at that age, they didn't know their own strength. Talking about stopping at a certain point with a five-year-old? Fang Zhengzhi thought that wasn't a wise idea.

There was no need to say goodbye. He just ran, leaving the fire-feathered chicken behind. All he wanted was for his short legs to run faster...

"Hmph, useless little chicken thief!" The little girl didn't chase after Fang Zhengzhi but turned to look at the fire-feathered chicken on the roasting rack, which was now emitting a rich aroma.

"The green mountains remain, the clear water flows, I will return!" Fang Zhengzhi didn't want to lose his dignity.

Even if he was running, he had to run with dignity and style, leaving enough suspense to keep the other party waiting.

The little girl didn't even look at Fang Zhengzhi again, her big, watery eyes fixed on the fire-feathered chicken, which was now dripping with oil.

Finally, the little girl couldn't resist, bent down, and sniffed with her tender nose. Then, she opened her mouth and took a big bite out of the chicken's wing. Her face showed a look of surprise, and the delicious aroma made her close her eyes in enjoyment.

Then...

Fang Zhengzhi came back.

He appeared behind the little girl like a gust of wind, a smile on his small lips, and lifted his short legs!

Aiming for the little girl's bottom.

He kicked hard...

The little girl, who was bent over, enjoying herself and about to reach for the chicken, couldn't react in time.

"Thud!" The little girl stumbled, rushed forward five steps, and then fell into the clear river beside her.

"What a beautiful day, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and most importantly, it's perfect for... taking a bath!" Fang Zhengzhi grabbed the fire-feathered chicken, turned around gracefully, and left a rapidly fleeing back.

"My chicken, little thief!" The little girl's voice came from the river.

"You're mistaken, it's my chicken!" Fang Zhengzhi corrected the little girl without turning back.

"Damn!" The little girl leaped out of the river like an agile snow leopard, but her big eyes were misty, whether from the river water or tears...

"Rumble..."

"Go!"

A整齐而嘈杂的声音由远及近。

"Ah! My goodness! Miss, what happened to you!" A young girl, dressed in a luxurious long dress, about thirteen or fourteen years old, with a silver hairpin in her hair, ran over quickly, shouting in alarm.

Behind the young girl, a cloud of dust rose, revealing a group of soldiers in bright armor. The blood-red triangular patterns on their chest armor indicated their noble status. There were nearly three hundred of them, each riding a black snow-treading dragon horse.

These creatures resembled fierce horses, with a more imposing build, covered in fine black fur, and their hooves encased in white scales. Legend had it that they had the blood of ancient dragons.

At the front of the soldiers was a tall, muscular man in black armor with cloud patterns, his face dark and square, about forty years old. Just one glance from him was enough to make one feel a sense of awe, his entire body exuding the scent of battle and blood.

"I have failed!" The tall man dismounted and knelt on one knee, his face showing extreme respect. His eagle-like eyes quickly scanned the still burning barbecue rack by the river and the various colored paper packets.

"Which direction... is that?" The little girl didn't even look at the young girl or the tall man, pointing her tender finger in the direction Fang Zhengzhi had fled.

"That direction is Nanshan Village!" The tall man answered without hesitation.

"Nanshan Village? Good, let's go to Nanshan Village." The little girl responded lightly and walked towards a large palanquin adorned with emerald gems.

"Miss, we still have several other cities to visit on this trip. A small village like Nanshan Village..." The young girl quickly reminded her in a low voice, but she immediately fell silent when she saw the little girl's gaze.

"There are great paths and small paths, all things exist, and thus, they are paths!" The little girl glanced at the young girl, leaped into the palanquin, and the water droplets on her body froze in mid-air, only falling to the ground after she entered.

"Miss, your wisdom surpasses all!" The tall man, seeing the puddle of river water on the ground, immediately knelt on both knees, his face showing even more respect.

The young girl, however, looked puzzled, muttering the little girl's words: "Great paths, small paths... how do they become all things? And what does this have to do with going to Nanshan Village?"

Though puzzled, as a servant, she knew what to say.

"Miss, you are incredibly wise, able to read hundreds of books by the age of three, understanding the ways of the world. Now, no one in this world dares to bully you!" The young girl's face showed pride when she spoke of the little girl.

However, the little girl, who had just entered the palanquin, trembled.

No one dares to bully?

"Yue'er, you don't need to ride in the palanquin, just walk!"

"Ah?! Walk!" The young girl's face fell, looking at the winding mountain path leading to Nanshan Village, her pride replaced by pain.

"General, does Miss have any special instructions for this trip to Nanshan Village?" The tall man stood up, his eyes once again on the barbecue rack by the river.

"Add a child examination." The little girl's voice came from inside the palanquin.

"Child examination? What is the age limit?"

"Hmm... Six to eight years old."

"Understood!"

...

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